Sheet-feeding mechanism and duplicating and other machines comprising the same



LICATING AND THE SAME Jan. 8, 1929.

J. CLATWORTHY SHEET FEEDIN G MECHANISM AND DUP OTHER MACHINES COMPRISING Filed Aug. 16, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 mvcnhr LICATING AND THE SAME Jan. 8, 1929.

J. CLATWORTHY SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM AND DUP MACHINES COMPRISING OTHER Filed Aug. 16, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 806-2 U8 0O mm5774m@6 Jan. 8, 1929. 7 1,698,187

- J. CLATWORTHY e MECHANISM AND DUPLICATING AND SHEET FEEDIN OTHER MACHINES COMPRISING THE SAME Filed Aug. 16, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 8, 1929. 1,698,187

J. CLATWORTHY SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM AND DUPLICATING AND OTHER MACHINES COMPRISING THE SAME Filed Aug. 16, 1926 6 Shets-Sheet 4 Jan. 8, 1929.

1,698,187 J. CLATWORTHY SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM AND DUPLICATING AND OTHER MACHINES COMPRISING THE SAME Filed Aug. 16, 1926 6 sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. 5.

JC/a/Wpr/A "We/7 0H Jan. 8, 1929.

J. CLATWORTHY SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM AND DUPLICATING AND OTHER MACHINES COMPRISING THE SAME Filed Aug. 16, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Jan. 8, 1929. a

'' UNITED STATES PATEN OFFICE.

JOHN cm'rwon'rnr, or LoNnon, ENGLAND, AssIeN'on '10 nensrii'rnnn, Luann),

or LONDON, ENGLAND.

Sfi EET-FEEDING MECHANISM AND DUPLICATINGTAND OTHER MACHINES GOMI RISING THE SAME,"

Application filed August 16, 1926, Serial No. 129,616,and in Great Britain October 8, .1985.

'This invention relates to sheet-feeding mechanism and machines, such for instance as duplicators, comprising the same.

In a number of machines adapted to operv ate upon successive sheets of paper or like material the individual sheets are fed forward between members designed simultaneously to contact with the sheet.

Should, however, a sheet not be 'fed forward it is in many cases undesirable that these members should be brought into contact one with another. This is the case for example in duplicating machines where a pres-, sure member is employed for forcing the sheet into cont-act with the stencil carrier for in the event of a sheet not being fed forward the pressure member will be brought into the operative position and owing to'the absence of a sheet it will contact with the stencil through the openings in which ink will be delivered on to the surface of the pressure member, the removal of which for cleaning will be necessitated to avoid a number of sheets subsequently fed forward being spoiled owing to the ink taken up by the pressure member being transferred to their rear faces.

A number of mechanisms have been proposed in machines comprising sheet-feeding mechanism and some in connection with duplicating machines for preventing two members, which co-operate one with another in the manner of a pressure member and stencil carrier, comingminto contact should a sheet not-intervene tween them and the object of the present invention is to provide an improved mechanism for securing a similar result.

The object'of the present invention is to provide an improved construction of sheetfeeding mechanism of the type including a trip bar which is adapted to be brought to bear upon the topmost sheet of the pile of sheets which are to be fed in succession in order to cause the said sheet to be buckled by the operation of fingers or the like adapted to impart forward motion to the sheet, and by its periodic motion to release the sheet, thus permitting its fore edge to spring forward over the trip bar into the position in which it will beengaged between the means, for instance, a stencil carrier and pressure roller, adapted simultaneously to contact with it.

The invention consists broadlyin a sheetfeeding mechanism of the type furnished with a trip bar in which feeler-mechanism co-operates with the trip bar to permit or inhibit the bringing into the operative posi 'tion of the members adapted simultaneously to operate upon the sheets which are fed.

For instance, in accordance with the in- .vention, gaps may be provided in the edge of the trip bar while the feeler mechanism may comprise a member on which are. formed fingers registering-with the gaps, the

.said member having lugs or arms by which connection between the member and, some fixed points on the machine may be secured in such manner that the arms may be moved about the axis of these points.

. The means adapted to permit or inhibit the bringing into the operative position of the members adapted to operate upon the sheet may, as in known constructions, be positively actuated by some movifhg part of the machine, for example through the intermediary of a member from a spindle, the motion of which functions to feed forward the individual sheets, to bring it into the operative position.

Conveniently in accordance with the invention the member throu hthe intermediary of which is actuated t e means adapted to permit or inhibit the bringing into the operative position of the members adapted to operate upon the sheet is furnished with a plurality of notches, one or other of which,

according to the position whichthe feeler has been allowed to take up, engages a pawl through which motion is imparted to means adapted to inhibit or permit the raising of the pressure roller or equivalent device.

To release the 'pawl from engagement with the notched member on the return motion of the same, a trip device may be associated with the pawl.

The member operated from the spindle, the motion of which actuates the feed mechanism, is conveniently slidably mounted, as for instance by providing in the member a slot engaging a pin, on some fixed point on the machine. i

For imparting motion to this member a cam may beprovidcd on a spindle adapted periodically to move the member in opposition to a spring.

The feeler mechanism may be pivotally anism may be effected by providing a slot in.

,the latter and a pin on the former.

. the pressure member may conveniently bev l connected with some fixed point on the machine and the connection between it and the member operating to release the feeler mech- The means adapted to permit or inhibit the bringing into the operative position of i v in the tormof a lever furnished with two shoulders with a recess or gap between them, the shoulders and recess being so dimen- -sioned and arranged that according to whether one 01 other of the shoulders is in the path ofa pin on a carriage in which a pressure roller is mounted the otion of the carriage to bring the roller into the operative osition relative to the stencil carrier will e prevented while in the event of the recess being in the path of the pin the motion of the carriage for the pressure roller to the extent in uestion will be permitted.

The carriage or the pressure roller or ,equivalent member may be resiliently con the pressure rol er into 'the operative po-.

sition is inhibited the springs will be com pressed.

When the carriage for the pressure roller is so arranged, finger-pieces may be provided on the carriage adapted to enable the pressure roller to be forced downward by hand in opposition to the springs, should such be desirable for any reason, as for instance in order to remove the pressure roller.

The member furnished with shoulders and an intervening recess may be pivotally connected at one end with some point fixed relative to the frame of the machine while the pawl may be pivotally connected with a member mounted on'a pivotprovided on the member furnished with shoulders and an intervening recess. Between these two members a. degree of relative motion may be secured by forming a slot in the one and providing a pin on the other.

A trip member, which may be in the form of a lever associated with a spring operating to constrain the pawl, the member on which it is mounted, and the means operating to permit or inhibit the raising of the pressure member, to moveinto the forward position in which the pawl may engage one or other of the notches, when the member in which the opposite end thereof, which for this purpose may be provided with a lateral extension, to engage the pawl and release the same from its engagement with the notched member, thus permitting the spring operating on the pawl to move the members with which it is associated into the retracted position.

On the upward motion of the carriage the pin will strike the trip finger and will move the lever of 'whichvit forms part about its pivot but such motion of the lever will not release the pawl from its engagement with the notched member.

l/Vhere a pressure roller mounted in a carriage. is employed, it will be found convenient to furnish in the sides of the carriage open hearings in which the ends of the spindle of the pressure roller may be engaged, and in such case, in order to prevent the roller being displaced from the carriage by shocks arising in the operation of the machine, the member formed with shoulders or recesses may be provided with lateral projections adapted to be brought into the path of the ends of the spindle of the pressure roller.

Conveniently the mains adapted to engage the carriage of the pressure roller in order to inhibit .or permit itbeing raised into the operative position is rigidly connected by a spindle extending across the machine with a member similarly provided with shoulders and a recess co-operating with a pin functioning on the adjacent portion of the carriage for the pressure roller.

In a duplicating machine it is desirable to print on the" backing sheet, of the stencil when it is freshly mounted on the machine. The purpose of this is to avoid passing a number of sheets of paper in succession through the machine until in the normal operation of the machine the desired quantity of ink will pass through the openings in "the stencil on to a sheet of impression-receiving material passed between the stencil carrier .and pressure member.

A further feature of the invention comprises the provision of means adapted to put thefeeler device out of operation to enable the pressure member to be raised periodically for the purpose above referred to.

Thus, in accordance with the present invention, the feeler device may be connected through a link permitting lost motion be tween the feeler and the link with an eccentrically disposed pin mounted upon a a position in which it will not descend sufficiently to control the operation of means adapted to permit or inhibit the raising of the pressure roller into the operative position, and with this pin a second lever is associated, this second lever being connected also with the means adapted to permit or inhibit the raising into the operative position of the pressure roller in such manner that when the rotatable member is in the position in which it maintains the feeler out of operation the second link causes the means adated to inhibit or permit the raising into t e operative position of the pressure roller to move into the position in which it will permit theraising of the pressure roller when the stencil carrier may be rotated a desired number of times, the pressure roller, being periodically moved into and out of contact with the reverse side of the backing sheet.

The invention is more particularlvconcerned with duplicator-s of the kind com prising a plurality of inking cylinders over which a stencil supported on a flexible carrier is caused to travel and with which inks of a pasty consistency are employed.

The invention will be further described in detail as applied to a duplicator of the above-mentioned character and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which are shown such of the elements of a duplicator of the known construction as are necessary for the understand ng of the invention.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a fragmentary view in end elevation of a duplicating machine with one of the side frames of the machine removed in order to expose the de the position the several elements respectively assume at the commencement of the feeding motion should a sheet of paper not be fed forward and at a later stage; a

Figures 5 and 6 are views illustrating the mechanism located at the side of the machine opposite to that illustrated in Figures 1 to 4.

In all of the figures l'indicates the lower inking cylinder of a duplicating machine, 2 the spindle on'which'the said cylinder is mounted and 3 the flexible member traveling over the inking cylinders-andgltoi which is secured the stencil; 4 is one of, a plurality of rubber pads connected to thei frame 5 which is pivotally connected by the spindle 6 with the arms. 7 of a frame which is in turn pivotally mounted on the pivots 8 ,this

frame is oscillatedabout its spindle by the eccentric 9 through the intermediary 'of a strap provided with a prolongation 1 0 plvotally connected by the pin 11 withthe lugs 12 on the frame.

Periodically the feed fingers their 7 associated pads are elevated from the pile of sheets of paper, represented by 13, when they I have completed their forward stroke and the frame carrying them is returningfinto its rearm'ost position. For raising-,thefingers a frame, one end of which is in thcterm of a bell-crank lever 14, is pivotally connected- I with the frame carrying the remaining elew, 1 ments of the feed mechanism. vOne end of one of the bell-crank levers is provided-with a roller 16 which travels over a cam-17 and 2 thus oscillates the lever aboutits pivotal s connection, causing the arm 18 periodically to bear against the set-screws 19 which'are secured in the limbs orextensions 20 0f the members carrying the feed fingers. A-

spring 21 operates to keep theA-roller 16 in contact with the cam while the spring 22 connected with the screw 23 on which the nut 24 is mounted is arranged in tension and by means of the nut the tension on the spring may be varied in order to vary the pressure of the fingers upon the pile of sheets.

In addition, the feed mechanism comprises a roller 25', the action of gravity on which causes it tomaintain afsubstantial-ly,con-' stant pressure on the pile of sheets. I

I The feed; mechanism" in its operation puslies l:?the sheets from the "pile forward. against the; plate 26 adjacent to the'upper edge ofiwhich is mounted oni-lthe pivot 27 a trip bar28 which is provided witha lip 29. @The lip in question operates to prevent thefore edge of thetopmost slfieetfof the pile moving forward and the sheet is there fore buckled-untilat an appropriate time the trip bar rotated about the' axis of its pivot. v y I The rotation of the trip-bar is effected from the-feed spindle 30' through the inter- 'mediary of the bar 30*,Which is slotted at' 30 and engages thefeed spindle by' which and by the roller 30 it -is guided. Onthe. 7 3

bar 30 is provided 'a pi r QO engaging the slot 8O in-the slotted cam 5O connected,

with the trip bar,- the cam 30 on. the feed spindle 30 bearing upon the roller 30 and moving the bar 3O at suitable-intervals inv opposition to the spring 30 one end of "edge of the sheet of paper will spring forence to it in some detail is necessary for the purpose of describing a suitable manner of carrying the invention into effect.

A bar 31 provided with fingers 32 acting as feelers which register with gaps or recesses in the lip of the trip bar when the latter is rotated into the position illustrated in Figures 3 and 5 is connected by the arms 33 with some fixed point on the machine by the pivot 34. One end of one of the arms is provided with a slot 35 engaging a pin-36 on the member 37 which bears through the intermediary of the roller 38 on the periphery of the cam 39 which, as will be seen, is mounted on the feed spindle of. the machine. The member in question is provided with a forked end 40 en aging the disc 41 and serving as a guide fbro-ne end of the member, a slot 42 in the member engaging the pin 43 on some fixed point of the machine, such engagement providing a guide for the lower end of the member. Motion of the member under the action of the cam causes it to move in opposltion to the spring der 53, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, or the 44, the latter causing the member when it is released by the cam to move to the right of Figures 1 to 4 and slightly upward, thereby permitting the fingers ac mg as feelers to descend freely when in ation oflthe machine they will assume the position shown in Figure 3 unless a sheet of paper has been fed forward in which case the sheet bridging" over the gaps in the tri bar will cause the feelers to'assume the position shown in Figure 1. In the former case the member 37 will be retracted to a greater extent than in the latter and in the one case the notch 45, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, and in the other the notch 46, as'shown in Figures 1 and 2, will engage the pawl 47 which is pivotally mounted on the pin 48 provided on the link 49 which in turn ispivotally connected lever 51, the latter nected at 52 with a fixed point on the machine. This lever is provided with two shoulders 53 and 54 with a recess 55 between them and is rigidly connected with a correspondingly formed lever 56 on theopposite side of the machine ('see Figures 5 and. 6) b the rod 57; according to which of the notclies the 'pawl above referred to has engaged the motion of the the action of the c'an139 will bring the shoulthe' pin 50 to the recess 55, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, into register'with the in which the pressure roller 60 is mounted. 'Ijhis carriage 1s rovided with pins 61 pass- .ing through col ars 62 between which and shoulders on the frame springs 63 are lo- .the position assumed by tgxe normal operbeing pivotally conember 37 under 1 uponv the spindle '66 which is periodically oscillated in such manner as to tend to force the frame carrying the pressure roller toward the lower inking cylinder. Depending on whether the pin 58 is in register with the shoulder 53 or the recess "55, the raising of the carriage for the pressure roller is permitted or precluded, the springs 63 in the latter case being compressed. In the construction illustrated the carriage for the pressure roller is provided with fingerpieces 67 by which it may be depressed by hand in ofpposition to the springs for the purpose 0 removing or replacing the pressure roller which is formed with pivots 68 engaging slots 69 in the sides of the car; riage, In order to revent the pivots being displaced from the slot, lugs 70 and 71 are provided on the lever 51, one or other of'these lugs bein brought into position above the pivots-o the roller according to the lever.

"A trip member in t e form of a lever 72 is pivqta-lly connected by the pin 73 with'the lever 51. One arm of the lever 72 is provided with a lug 74 engaging below' the pawl 47 and is connected by the spring 75' with a fixed point 76 on the machine frame, This spring operates to constrain themem bers 49 and 51, between which a. certain degree of relative motion is provided for by engaging a pin.77 on the latter in a slot-78 of suitable size in the former, to move to the right of Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, such motion being secured by. releasing the pawl from engagement with the notches in the member 37. Such release isjsecuredby the downward motion of thecarriage for the pressure roller, causing the pin 79 thereon to strike the end of the lever 72, thus causing it to be released from whichever of the said notches in which it was engaged. As the result of such release the link 49 and lever 51 take up the position indicated in Figures, 1

and 3 and according to"theposition assumed.

by the feeler mechanism the pawl 47 will engage one or other of thenotches 45 or .46 on the succeeding motion of the feed mechanism to feed forward a sheet and in conse-- quence the raising of the carriage for the pressureroller to the full extentwill be permitted or precluded according towhether or no a sheet has been fed forward and bridges over the gaps in the tripbar.

' In order that the backing sheet of the stehcil when it is freshly mounted on the machine may be printed on, fort-he purpose explained earlier in this specification, means pin 58 on the carriage 59 c by the pin 83 is eccentrically connected with the disc 84 to which a lever 85 provided with a counterweight 86 is connected. By

I means of the pin 83 engaging the slot 87 the link 88 which is connected also by the spring the lever '85 will be in the position shown in Figure 5 when consequently the feeler' mechanism will "be in position to operate in the manner above described in detail.

Having now described my invention, what I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A machine adapted to operate upon successive sheets of paper or llke material which are fed forward between members designed simultaneously to contact with the sheet, comprising means adapted to accommoclate a pile of sheets, means adapted to feed forward the topmost sheet of the pile, a tri bar adapted temporarily to restrain ore edge of, the sheet from forward motion and thereby to cau e the sheet to buckle, means adapted to ve the trip bar to release the fore edge of the sheet, and

feeler mechanism associated with the trip bar adapted to permit or inhibit the bringing into the, operative position of the members adapted simultaneously to operate upon the sheets which are fed according to the position assumed by the feeler mechanism.

2. A machine adapted to operate upon successive sheets of pa er or like material,

comprising members a apted to be brought.

to bear simultaneously upon opposite sides of a sheet fed between them, means adapted to accommodate a pile of sheets, means 1 adapted tomovethe topmost sheet of the the fore edge of the sheet and means'coactpile relatively to the other sheets thereof toward said members, a trip bar ada ted temporaril to restrain the fore edge 0 the topmost s set from forward motion, means adapted to actuate the trip bar to release v ing with the trip bar" to permit or inhibit motion of the members designed simultaneously to contact with a sheet according to whether or no' a sheet is located between the said members. r v j i 3. A machine adapted to operate upon successive sheets of paper orlike material,

, comprising an-impression-producing memher and a platen member co-operating there with, means adapted to accommodate a pile of sheets, means adapted to engage the topmost sheet of the pile and move the rear trip edge of said sheets in a forward direction, a

bar adapted to restrain the fore edge of the sheet from corresponding motion,

thereby causing the sheet to buckleymeans adapted to actuate the trip bar to permit the fore edge of the sheet to move forward and rest upon said member, and feeler mechanism co-operating with the trip bar adapted according to whether or no it contacts with a sheet to permit or preclude the bringing together of the impression-producing member and the platen member.

A. A machine adapted to foperate upon successive sheets of paper orlike material comprising members adapted to be brought to bear simultaneously upon opposite sides of a sheet fed between them, means adapted to accommodate a pile of sheets, means adapted to move the topmost sheet of the pile relatively to the other sheets thereof toward said members, a pivotally mounted trip bar, a projecting lip on the trip bar adapted to be brought to bear on the topmost sheet of the pile of sheets to restrain the fore edge ofthe topmost sheet from forward motion, means adapted to oscillate the trip bar about the axes of its pivots to release the fore edge of the sheet and feeler mechanism co-operating with the trip bar adapted according to whether or no a sheet is supported on the trip bar to permit or preclude the bringing together of the members adapted to be brought to bear simultaneously on the sheet.

5( A machine adapted to operate upon successive sheets of paper or like material comprising an impression-producing member and a platen member adapted to be brought to bear simultaneously upon opposite sides of a sheet,means adapted to accommodate a pile of sheets, means adapted .to engagethe topmost sheet of the pile and move the rear edge of said sheet in a forward d1rect1on,-a pivotally mounted trip bar, a projecting lip on the trip bar adapted vto be brought to bear on the topmost sheet of the pile of sheets to restrain the fore edge of the topmost sheetfrom forward motion,

bar

means adapted to oscillate the trip aboutthe axes of its pivots to release the fore edge of the sheet and feeler mechanism oo-o crating with the trip baradapted ac-' cording to whether or no, a. sheet is supported on the trip bar to permit or preclude the br ngmg together ofl lthe impressionproducmg member and the platen member.

6. A machine .adapted to operateupon I successive sheets of paper. or like material -compr1s1ng'an impression-producing member and a with, means adapted to accommodate a pile of sheets, to engage the topmost sheet of the plle and move-the rear edge of the said sheet in a direction towards'the impression member and the platen member, a pivotally platen. member co -operating theremounted trip bar having'a lip adaptedto member having arms, a pivotal connection between said arms and some fixed point on the machlne, means adapted to cause said member to move about its pivotal connections when the trip bar is actuated tore1ease the fore edge of the topmost sheet of the pile and means associated with the feele'r mechanism whereby according to the position assumed by the feeler mechanism the bringing together of the 'impression-producmg member and the platen member will be permitted or precluded.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN CLATWQRTHY. 

